Sitting at a table he looked across at his dining companion. He smiled affectionately at his
daughter as she tore the meat from a human forearm, allowing the blood and uncooked juices to flow down her chin. Somewhere
in the distance he heard a child scream.

David sat upright and tried to shake away the visions that lingered in his head. Never before had
he had such a horrible dream. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched. On opening the bedroom door he heard
the faint cries of a baby as if his dream continued to echo around his home. It seemed to get louder as he approached the
front door.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he hesitantly opened the door. On the front porch, in a traditional
picnic basket, he could see a tiny scrunched up face topped by a little pink bonnet.

Quickly searching the basket he located a pacifier and a fresh bottle of milk. He also found a
satchel on which was pinned a note. He sat alongside the basket, instinctively guiding the bottle into the questing mouth
and began to read.

To David Williams,

I have watched you play with your
own children for the past three months. You seem like a very caring father. You have a beautiful family and your wife is obviously
a wonderful mother.

I have nothing to offer this special
little girl. She needs a family who can provide her with a good upbringing and teach her the value of love.

By the time
you read this I will be gone and though I loath to part with her, I know she will have a better chance at a normal life with
your family.

The
short missive was unsigned.

The
satchel contained a birth certificate and papers for her name change by deed poll to Williams.

# # #

Over
seven years had passed since that morning and the Williams family had readily accepted their new arrival, telling everyone
they had adopted the bundle of joy but decided to keep their decision a secret until they were able to bring her home.

On
a warm summer afternoon, David was interrupted from his surfing of the TV channels by a knock at the door. He opened it to
find a woman nervously standing there.

From
beneath her auburn fringe she looked up at him. Her hazel eyes searched David’s face. Satisfied with what she found,
her resolution visibly strengthened. David noticed the straightening of the shoulders and the lifting of her head then without
fanfare she said, “Hi. I’m the baby’s mother. She is nearly eight now and it is past time I told you more
of her heritage.”

“They’re
all out at the moment, but I’m guessing you already knew that.” At her nod he added, “You had better come
in.”

David
waited until she settled on the lounge before sitting in his own chair opposite her. “Well Miss, what exactly do you
need to tell me?”

“How
is she?” she asked.

“She
is the apple of my eye. I count it as a blessing everyday when I go in to wake her. She is smart and funny and wonderful to
be around.”

The
smile slipped from her features. “I hope that is enough.”

At
a puzzled look from the man who had raised her daughter she continued, “Tania was conceived in hate and born amidst
chaos. It has been foretold that two children would be born on that day; one of goodness and one of evil. We thought that
if she was placed with a good family then she would grow to be the child of good. No-one can be sure until her eighth birthday
passes.”

# # #

Two
months later, on the morning of her eighth birthday, David crept into his daughter’s bedroom to find her sleeping above
her blankets – two feet above her blankets. “Well sweetheart, I guess things are going to be a little different
around here from now on.”

Tyarna
rolled over in mid-air and softly gurgled, a smile of malevolence on her face.